Going through land-based immigration is such a drag

From my flickr stream. I also have pictures of Sideswipe, Sideways and Big Daddy. I’ll probably get HA Bumblebee and snap some shots too.

Wheelie sure is a potty-mouthed one here (“AAAGH! THAT’S MY EYE, YOU CRAZY BITCH!!!”). If this was the humor Michael Bay was talking about, then more of this, please (and no more leaking coolant, Bumblebee).

Forum posters, moreover, comment that Wheelie is more of a Beast Wars Rattrap homage; voice acting probably done by Tom Kenny sure reinforces that (he was said to be cast into the movie).

See the clip here and let hilarity ensue.

So, the following morning, I leisurely went to said store. I was 15 minutes early and decided to have a McDonald’s breakfast (I didn’t know the McGriddle was made of pancake, instead of spicy English muffin).

*Yeah, this means I’ll stop calling this country Ba Sing Se.

I got deluxe Sideswipe, deluxe Sideways and Leader Optimus Prime. I had scout Ransack but I changed my mind. I’m thinking I’ll just get scout Ejector when he comes out.

The deluxes were ok (so I had to fulfill my lust for sportscars I know I’ll never have and even if I can afford them, it’ll be just impractical to keep them). Ah yes, I remember the joys I had during my childhood of transforming toys. There’s just something about having two toys in one that involved a puzzle-like element to convert it from one form to another.

Fuck G1 nostalgia; the eighties were as campy as hell. The movie toys looked like actual vehicles in real life (ah, the wonders of licensing) and even the small ones had complex enough transformations to give an engineer a hard time. Don’t give me none of that brickformer, non-articulate, too futuristic alt mode shit…give me something that I may see out in the street–hey, I saw a 76 Camaro in sport yellow and black racing stripes outside my apartment back in ’08–and still have enough articulation in humanoid mode so I can do crazy shit with it.

And speaking of complex conversions, the leader Prime took me two, freakin’ hours to convert to truck mode (maybe because I was afraid I’ll break something if I force it?). I can’t imagine how a child of ten can transform it easily without something coming off or breaking. But when I finally did, it was soOo rewarding.

So, anyway, these are the only pics I’ve shot so far. I’ll probably take the usual photos when I get the time. Or the proper lighting conditions.

Sideswipe (Concept Corvette Stingray)

Sideways (faux Audi R8)

Optimus Prime (Peterbilt Truck)

Now, I can’t wait to get a hold of that Decepticon toaster…

]]> http://sevenfloorsdown.com/geeks/archives/724/feed 2 http://sevenfloorsdown.com/geeks/archives/565 http://sevenfloorsdown.com/geeks/archives/565#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:00:25 +0000 christian http://sevenfloorsdown.com/geeks/?p=565 As if the numerous websites and message boards haven’t shown already, we now have looks at the upcoming Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen toys.

Just note that Hasbro shops the toys to give them a sheen, matte, metallic finish. The toys come out this May and the movie on June 26.

Link to ROTF toys

You can see the pics in the link below. The pictures don’t show any of the new robots (and neither do first posters) but the following, I think, is more valuable:

USA Today also points out the new robots that will invade the film. They are “Decepticons Soundwave, a fearsome communications expert, and Devastator, whose arms and legs are built out of other Transformers. And on the Autobots’ side is Jetfire, a villain whose age and broken-down physicality leads him to help the Autobots.” 

At least we know now who Bay was referring to as the geriatric robot. The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is expected to play in theaters June 26, 2009.

Link to article

But the NBA and the Transformers? It could’ve worked but they decided to do Yao Ming transforming into a basketball. 

Yup, a robot, with a human head converting into a basket ball.

And you thought cars turning into robots was stretching suspension of disbelief (until Michael Bay did the movie).

Link to blog post

And we’re not talking about plates, hinges and kibble from household stuff–we’re dealing with motorcycles and cars here:

Sure, they don’t really tranform nor they’re actual characters from any Transformers continuity, but still…just being able to make something like that would surely attract attention. And that’s just what Mr. Zhu wants. He claims he built the model to advertise his business.

Not surprisingly, the Transformers was just as big a hit, if not bigger, in China back in the 80′s as it was with the rest of the world where the show was broadcast. It’s been more than 20 years and all those kids now are more capable of being than just fans pestering their parents to buy them the toys.

But I think I’m part of a majority here–he’s just a geek . So, between this guy and the father who turned their mustang into Barricade, who’s the bigger geek?

Link to Wired Article/Link to China Car Times (with more pictures)

He’s a Mountain Dew vending machine that transforms into a four-armed Decepticon. Here’s a cleaner render of him:

He’s officially named Dispensor.  And here’s the toy:

Geez…cutesy figurines? I was hoping they’d come up with a Deluxe class figure. Oh wel…I guess a joke can only go so far.